Early in the morning on Friday, 7th of July a team of 13 dancers, 2 coaches and many supporters stood ready at the doorsteps of Dansstudio Indigo to leave on an early flight for the New Prague Dance Festival.

The week was an immersion in dance, culture and friendship. Among the 22 teams competing from all over the world were New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Israel, South Africa, Panama, Poland, Malta, USA and of course Belgium.

Each morning the dancers were offered three dance workshops taught by top teachers and professors from the dance conservatories of Prague. In the late afternoon the dance competition took place at the New Scene Theater, judged once more by top professionals and pedagogues.

Of course not everything was about dance… all teams could book a day trip to see the many sights of Prague and its surroundings. We chose to visit the beautiful Prague zoo. That same evening the various was also treated to boat cruise with dinner on the Vltava river. The last day after the awarding ceremony everyone enjoyed a sumptuous dinner and after party in a beautiful church.

Our dancers literally had to put their best foot forward showing 3 groups pieces, a solo van Emma van d’huynslager and a duet between Emma and Chloé Meeuws. It was a nervous few moments waiting for the results on the last evening of competition.

And then… the Compagnie of Dansstudio Indigo received 1st prize for Contemporary dance for all choreographies along with a 2nd prize for Jazz/HipHop.

With the tears flowing freely we could only have dreamed of receiving these prizes. It has been a challenging year for the team with several ups and downs. We even had two dancers dancing injured during the festival yet everyone put their heads down and did what they had to do. We all learnt a lot having interacted with so many dancers and teachers who have the same passion, dreams and challenges we face. This is the best side of life itself with everyone speaking the universal language of dance.

This was so much more than just a dance competition. It is confirmation of our belief that dance has huge impact in the development of the youth. By letting these young dancers compete with other teams from all over the world, they get a sense of something bigger than themselves. They get a sense that all that effort invested into their passion is duly rewarded in one way or another. Realising this over the years of coaching and choreographing, the competition is always with yourself ultimately. It is about bringing the best of yourself to the table, expanding those horizons and connecting the dots.

Experience also teaches us that competing is about the moment. It is about leaving the baggage of your past, the expectations of the future and the concentration of the energies on the moment. The dancers are taught to value the moment while performing rather than focussing on the prize. To have won these prizes was just like I mentioned before, confirmation of our belief in the dancers.

A big thanks to David, Roberta, Jana & Jana and for hosting us once again. You were perfect hosts and you always make us feel at home. Also a huge shout out to the lovely teachers of each country taking part for sharing your ideas and your wonderful creations with us. We were happy to have met so many familiar and new faces and hope once more to see you soon.